Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Combined Force Kills Insurgents in Laghman Province

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and
coalition security force killed several armed insurgents during an operation to
arrest a Taliban attack commander in the Alisheng district of Afghanistan’s
Laghman province today, military officials reported.

The insurgents were killed by return
fire after they fired on the security force as it cleared the Taliban
commander’s suspected compound and secured the area.

The security force detained several
suspected insurgents in the operation.

Also today, a combined force in Ghazni
province’s Waghaz district detained several suspected insurgents during an
operation to arrest a Taliban leader who is believed to be responsible for
transporting and equipping foreign insurgents for attacks against Afghan and
coalition forces.

In operations yesterday:

-- A combined security force in the
Kandahar district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province arrested a Taliban attack
coordinator who is suspected of planning and directing multiple attacks
throughout central Kandahar and is believed to have also plotted several
assassination attempts against Afghan officials. At the time of his arrest,
officials said, he was believed to be planning an imminent suicide attack
against Afghan security forces. The security force also detained another
suspected insurgent in the operation.

-- A combined force in Helmand
province’s Now Zad district detained numerous suspected insurgents and more
than 25 pounds of illegal narcotics during an operation to arrest a Taliban
leader who is believed to be responsible for equipping insurgents with mortars
and heavy weapons for attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces.

-- Afghan and coalition forces in
Laghman province’s Alisheng district killed numerous armed insurgents during a
security operation to arrest a Taliban leader. During the operation, Afghan and
coalition forces identified multiple insurgents armed with assault rifles and a
heavy machine gun maneuvering near their position. After ensuring that no
civilians were in the area, the security force engaged the armed insurgents
with a precision airstrike. A post-strike assessment determined no civilian
property was damaged and no civilians were harmed.

In Sept. 8 operations:

-- Afghan and coalition security forces
detained a suspected suicide attack facilitator in Nangarhar province’s
Jalalabad district. At the time of his arrest, he was believed to be involved
in planning an imminent suicide-bomb attack in the region.

-- In Helmand province’s Nahr-e Saraj
district, security combined force arrested a Taliban improvised explosive
device cell leader who is suspected of directing attacks against Afghan and
coalition convoys. In the weeks prior to his arrest, the Taliban IED cell
leader is believed to have conducted an attack that wounded several coalition
security force members.

-- A combined force found and destroyed
a Taliban weapons cache and detained several suspected insurgents in Sar-e Pul
province’s Sar-e Pul district. The cache included assault rifles and grenades, explosives,
ammunition and bomb components.

-- In the Kunduz district of Kunduz
province, security combined force detained several suspected insurgents during
an operation to arrest an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator suspected
of providing money, ammunition and explosives to insurgents.

In other news, an Afghan special police
unit and coalition forces recovered narcotics, weapons and explosives,
including more than 500 pounds of heroin and 600 kilograms of opium, during a
three-day operation that began Sept. 6 in Helmand province’s Washir district.

During the operation, the combined force
came under small-arms attack and killed several insurgents with return fire.
Afterward, the combined force found pressure plate bombs and components,
homemade explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, small arms and ammunition.